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The Manc -
3rd February 2020
The Manc -
3rd February 2020 News
Local Adolescence actor urges everyone to watch Netflix hit after ‘overwhelming’ reaction
Danny Jones
One of the actors from Netflix’s new smash hit, Adolescence, is a Greater Manchester-born and bred talent and has now taken time to reflect on the “overwhelming” response the show has seen thus far.
You’ll recognise her from countless roles in British films and TV over the years, including multiple Shane Meadows projects, but Jo Hartley is one of several stars to have impressed audiences across the globe with her performance in the incredible new drama.
Topping the streaming giant’s charts after just four days, Adolescence is one of the biggest shows of the year and most streamed UK exports in some time, receiving rave reviews across the board, as well as serious plaudits for how it tackles some seriously tough subject matter.
With most having now made it through all four extremely heavy episodes, the local actor from Oldham hopped on social media not only to express her gratitude for having been part of the project, but also the incredible reaction it received and why so many feel it’s an important watch.
Overwhelmed by so many kind and generous messages about #Adolescence we are so grateful to you all! Thanks.
— Jo Hartley (@MissJoHartley) March 17, 2025
Loved being part of this epic story, cast and crew @netflix #Adolescence 📺#adolescencenetflix #StephenGraham pic.twitter.com/R5LlItTjnN
Sharing a lengthier response spotlighting episode two, when we first meet her character, on Instagram, Hartley wrote: “Overwhelmed by all the generous messages we are getting so far. Being part of such a groundbreaking project has given me deep joy.
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“Seeing people respond so abundantly is very moving and feels quite wonderful. These kids are epic! They smashed it. Cast and crew too. I loved our downtime, we’d all hang out and play games, chat and laugh, we became a family. What a team of talented artists and creators.”
Speaking more broadly in an earlier post, she said of the early reviews: “I’ve been so overwhelmed by such powerful messages over the last few days. THANK YOU. Thank YOU!!! It’s been wonderful to see this show make such an impact on the world.
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“Adolescence asks questions… It presents us with a fatal situation caused by one unconscious act of violence – actions have consequences. Over the four ‘one shot’ episodes we see how it devastates not only a family but a whole community. If Adolescence saves one life, it will have worked.”
Before the limited drama had even dropped, she described it as a “life-changing experience” as an actor and, from a viewer’s perspective, nothing short of a “heart-wrenching and powerful one-shot drama that’ll blow your mind and take your breath away.” We can only echo her words.
As well as Oldham‘s finest being celebrated for her extremely believable, accurate and nuanced performance as teacher Mrs Fenumore, audiences are hailing not only the impressive talent of Owen Cooper, who plays the lead role of Jamie Miller but also the sublime Stephen Graham as his father.
Graham, who also shared the screen with Hartley in This Is England, has been praised for numerous roles in recent years – including director Philip Barantini’s equally talked about Boiling Point (2023) – but many viewers are saying he has officially cemented himself as “one of Britain’s greatest-ever actors.”
If you’ve still not seen anything about it, we won’t dare spoil a morsel more but we will sincerely recommend that you join the millions of others in watching it – though we’ll warn you, Adolescence is by no means easy-going.
You can see the trailer down below:
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Featured Images — British Film Institute (screenshot via YouTube)/Netflix
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Local artist Michael Browne unveils striking new piece after controversial Donald Trump portrait
Danny Jones
Local artist Michael Browne recently debuted another striking new work in central Manchester following his much-talked-about Donald Trump painting.
And if you’ve seen that one, you’ll know that’s quite the statement.
The 62-year-old Moss Side-born artist has enjoyed an increased level of popularity since and his statement piece and de-facto political cartoon following the result of 2025 US presidential election popped up centre-stage in a window on the corner of Deansgate earlier this year.
Now, just a couple of months on from his piece’s debut, Browne is back with another painting loaded with historical and social material that serves as a commentary on contemporary UK culture.
Taking a rather stark look not only at the British Empire and global politics – subjects he’s already flirted with plenty in the past – this towering new painting is entitled Sovereign Servant.
Designed to be a thought-provoking reflection on the legacy on the Empire and its impact on modern UK society as we know it today, it takes stylistic inspiration from Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres’ The Apotheosis of Homer, as seen at the Louvre.
Reimagining Britain’s colonial history, controversial impact across the globe; economic exploitation and ever-evolving national identity in a vibrant and truly eye-catching multi-character portrait.
Several faces can picked out from the crowd, including two very obvious royals smack back in the middle of the picture, but other standout aspects include Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster as the backdrop, as well the high contrast colour palette.
All set on the deck of a ship in the most obvious nod towards the nation’s naval fleet and centuries colonialism, not to mention a swirling stormy sky, there is a real sense of the movement to the image even with so many figures standing straight towards the the viewer.
Unveiled to the public in a special event featuring a live Q&A at the museum, as well as series of drop-in sessions with Browne himself last week, his latest neo-classical creation certainly left an impression.
Speaking on its reveal, Browne said: “As a mixed heritage man from the North, I have often compared London’s royal heritage and standing as the centre of the British Empire with Manchester’s working-
class heritage born out of industrial hard labour.
“I couldn’t resist juxtaposing these themes within one visual arena, contrasting the British
desire for one overarching identity and the reality of a thriving multicultural society. I wanted to revisit those triumphant depictions of Empire to present a vision of how it appears to me today.”
Now on public display, it’s certainly something worth seeing up close for yourselves.
Read more:
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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — Manchester Museum (supplied)
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